Abigail Williams

Summary
1. Parris’ niece and an orphan who is “strikingly beautiful”.
2. She used to work for the Proctors but was thrown out of the house by Elizabeth after she discovered the affair.
3. Attempts to get revenge on Goody Proctor by drinking blood and summoning the devil.
  1. Accentuated by her willingness to dance in the forest, the ease with which she lies and the violence with which she threatens the other girls into silence.
  2. Acting out of a malicious delight.
4. Manipulative, evil and a forceful leader which goes against expectations of young girls in that time.
5. Protects herself from punishment for dancing in the woody by starting the witch trials and leads the flood of accusations.
6. Complete opposite of Elizabeth
Quotes
1. Page 21- “Do you begrudge my bed, uncle?"
  1. Use of the question mark reveals how Abigail is challenging her uncle.
    1. Suggests she is a more confident and powerful character than we would expect of an average 17 year old Salem girl.
  2. Comma separates the diction ‘uncle'.
    1. Emphasises the sense of Abigail’s authority and control as she pointedly emphasises the word that reveals the hold she has over Parris.
2. Page 21- “I will not have it said my name is soiled! Goody Proctor is a gossiping liar!”
  1. Highlights importance of reputation within Salem
  2. She is quick to blame others.
    1. Revenge on Elizabeth
    2. So she does not get into trouble
3. Page 29- “How do you call me child”
  1. Highlights her anger with Proctor as he sees her as a child yet she is infatuated by him.
4. Page 96- “Let you beware, Mr. Danforth”
  1. Clear sense of authority, and reveals how Abigail is in control of the situation.
  2. The word 'beware' creates a threatening tone as she is challenging Danforth
5. Page 96 “Oh, Heavenly Father, take away this shadow!”
  1. Reminds audience of her intelligence as she perfectly manipulates the situation to her advantage.
  2. Hypocritical reference to God tricks the individuals in Salem reinforces Abigail’s cunning and devious character.
6. Page 49- “I want to open myself!” I want the light of God… I saw Sarah Good with the Devil! I saw Goody Osburn with the Devil! I saw Bridget Bishop with the Devil!”
  1. The repetitive use of the exclamation marks increases the pace of her speech and serves to emphasise the absurdly melodramatic nature of her confession.
Stage Directions
1. Page 18- “An endless capacity for dissembling”
  1. She is able to manipulate as a result of her beauty and intelligence
  2. 'endless capacity' highlights how it remains constant throughout the text and she remains unchanged.
  3. Miller doesn't care for her.
2. Page 92- "with a slight note of indignation"
  1. Shows how she is a good actress and can try and act shocked at the accusations facing her.

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Abigail Williams

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